Witnessing Iguazu Falls at Their Most Powerful!

The deep rumble of the nearby falls permeated through the forest, but the tens of thousands of butterflies fluttering alongside us as we drove seemed utterly indifferent to the commotion. While the falls—and, by extension, the birds—were the main draw for our visit, the sheer abundance of butterflies turned out to be one of the most unexpected and magical highlights of the afternoon.

Ruta 101

We were birding along Ruta 101, the quiet road through PN Iguazu and were rarely interrupted by passing vehicles. The road itself was wide, and a striking deep reddish-brown color, contrasting beautifully with the dense, vibrant green secondary shrub (rainforest?) flanking either side. A massive emergence of butterflies must have just occurred, as they seemed to be everywhere, filling the air with flashes of color. (We had to have passed tens of thousands as we drove along.)

Thankfully, Roger was enjoying another blissful car nap, allowing Ross and me to step outside and explore without the added weight of our little party member who had yet to master the art of walking. We might not have been able to get too far from the car, but we still saw Tufted Antshrike, Black-capped Foilage Gleaner, and a number of flycatchers such as Yellow Tyrannulet. We did feel a bit bad that he was missing the butterflies though!

Getting a Guide

Ross decided to contact Pocho, a local bird guide, since we wanted to visit both sides of the falls. The perks of having a bird guide were two-fold, he would know some good spots to search for some targets and he would be able to get us across the border for the falls easily. Guides are able to use a different lane at the border which greatly speeds up the immigration process and since it was mother’s day and super busy, being able to use this “fast lane” was priceless.

Pocho was great and in the end we bonded over our love for birds and both of us having a young son. We wished he would have brought his son along as well!
After a morning birding along Sendero Nandu (a trail only open to guides now) and seeing birds such as Ochre-collared Piculet, Rufous-margined Antwren, Band-tailed Manakin, and Variable Oriole, we decided to head across the border and to the falls.

Going to The Falls

Before there’s a waterfall, there’s always a river—and in this case, it’s the Iguazu River that powers the iconic Iguazu Falls. Originating in the Serra do Mar mountains of Brazil, the river travels an impressive 820 miles (1,320 kilometers), carving its path through lush subtropical rainforest. As it approaches the falls, the river widens dramatically, splitting into countless channels and creating the perfect stage for the breathtaking spectacle of over 270 individual waterfalls. It’s no wonder that Iguazu Falls is celebrated as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders.

The falls themselves mark the border between Brazil and Argentina. While the Iguazu River primarily flows through Brazil, the majority of the waterfalls are located in Argentina. We briefly considered staying on the Argentine side, but with recent rainfalls making the falls surge, some sections were closed. Besides, the views are notoriously better from the Brazilian side and we wanted to get the full experience!

Once we navigated the border crossing into Brazil, we headed off into the park and made our way down to the observation decks for the falls. The trail along the edge allowed for an awe-inspiring spectacle of torrents of water plunging from dizzying heights. It felt as if the earth itself had split open, releasing a raw, unstoppable force cloaked in mist. We stood there, completely awestruck. And I think the fact that the falls were absolutely rocking from recent rains, made it all the more breathtaking.

The falls were impressive and I was so happy to be standing there gazing at them. Ross meanwhile was feeling disappointed. Why you ask? (It’s not because he doesn’t particularly care for waterfalls.) Well, he opted to leave his 400mm lens behind. He thought to himself before we entered, “why would I need to bring my big camera in to see the falls? That lens is best suited for photographing birds zoomed in, not a panoramic view of the falls. A phone camera would be much better suited to capture the falls. Besides, no sense exposing it to unnecessary water.” So he left his Canon R5 camera tucked away in our rental car.

But then there were Great Dusky Swifts nestled in amongst the rocks as the water poured over them. With the water being much higher than normal the swifts were huddled in close, affording amazing views just centimeters away from rushing water. The swifts were perched on rocks with water splashing in all directions around them. Ross could have absolutely crushed the birds in his photos, but instead all we are left with to document the moment is this subpar digi-bin image.

But of course, there was another reason for crossing over to the Brazilian side. Although the birding is typically much better from the Argentine side, recently a Black-and-White Hawk Eagle nest had regularly been eBirded. Although the location wasn’t precise, I brought the sighting up to Pocho and luckily he knew the Brazilian birder who had eBirded it. A few phone calls later and we had the location. Despite the subpar habitat surrounded by nothing but agricultural fields, we eventually ended up finding the Black-and-White Hawk Eagle, a bird that had alluded us a few times in the past.

I’m so glad we made the decision to visit the falls. After experiencing such a magnificent natural wonder up close, I couldn’t help but turn to Ross and ask, “Why wasn’t this on the itinerary from the start?!”

This birding took place on October 15, 2023
eBird checklist: PN Iguazú–Sendero Ñandú

Also, I would HIGHLY recommend birding with Pocho. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and I think he mentioned he can get by in a few other languages as well. He can be contacted at +54 9 3757 44-1666.